Whispered Dreams
by Hota
Summary: Unanswered questions always have a way of coming out into the open. After the incident that changed their lives, Daisuke and Satoshi explore a few of those questions, mending and shaping their tentative friendship. Spoilers, Oneshot, Complete


**AN**: My first ever DNAngel fic. The first story you ever write for a fandom is usually the hardest, so while this has probably been done before, I found it would be the easiest thing for me to do as an introduction into this fandom. I'm rather proud of how it turned it out. Hope you all enjoy. Please R&R.

**Whispered Dreams  
**

The tangy scent of seawater hung heavy in the air, drifting with the light breeze blowing off the sparkling ocean. Parallel lines of golden sunlight streaked through the clouds, caressing the rippling waves as they glinted and reflected, blinding any careless observers. The crashing of the waves breaking on the shore filled the air, mingling with the distant calls of the seagulls and the scratching of a pencil against paper.

Settled comfortably against the marble foundation of a recently built fountain sat a young man with silver-tinted hair and blue eyes. Loose, dark-green cargo pants clad his legs while a form-fitting black T-shirt covered his chest. Lying open in his lap was a thick sketchbook filled with pictures he'd drawn over the past few months – pictures he no longer had to be wary of putting on paper or canvas. Ever since that day when the previous fountain was destroyed and Destinies were sealed, he'd found he could let his ideas flow freely from his fingertips. He could create without worrying too much about the curse of the Hikari, which was the only way he had ever wanted to live.

Hiwatari Satoshi had changed since then, doing his best to keep the promise he had made to Niwa Daisuke. He was still reserved, but he was a bit more approachable, the wariness about him having slowly dwindled as he realised he didn't have Krad lurking in the back of his mind anymore, ready to strike the moment his guard was down. His smiles were still rare, but they always reached his eyes, which were no longer shielded by the glasses he had never really needed in the first place. But what was most obvious was that he had gained a healthy look about him, his skin no longer pasty-looking but still pale. It was a wonder what a few relatively decent night's rest and full meals could do.

The sound of light footsteps on stone pulled him from his current project and he glanced up, easily spotting the striking hair of his once-nemesis moving toward him. His eyes lingered on the hair a moment, a shade that wasn't quite distinguishable as being either red or a very unique shade of brown, before looking at the boy's face. He noticed Daisuke looked a bit uncertain about being there, but was glad to note he didn't seem as if he would rather be somewhere else.

The redhead smiled easily as he approached, dropping down to sit next to the other male. "You wanted to see me," he said simply, breaking the silence. He leaned back on his hands and crossed his jeans-covered legs in front of him, the dark-blue button-up shirt he was wearing falling open with the movement, giving a better view of the black tank underneath.

Satoshi watched from the corner of his eye, studying Daisuke silently for a moment. The other boy was a couple inches taller now, his growth spurts having continued steadily, resulting in limbs that appeared just a tad too long, much like the gangly image of a baby colt. He was still slim, though his continued training made his muscles visible to anyone who cared to look.

"Yes," Satoshi replied just as simply, looking away and slipping his pencils back into their case. "How have you been?" he questioned, closing his sketchbook and setting it aside.

The former-thief tilted his head slightly, instinctively knowing the topic was that of the incident that had finally taken care of both their curses. He lightly bit the inside of his cheek, not exactly sure how to respond. "Alive," he finally replied, a quiet chuckle escaping at his inadequate answer. "How about you?"

"Alive," Satoshi replied immediately, the hint of relief and wonder in his voice causing the other male to look at him questioningly, which he responded to with a faint, rather wry twist of his lips. "You know, I've been wondering... You and Dark seemed to get along pretty well..."

Daisuke moved his eyes to the water below, pulling his legs up to his chest and loosely wrapping his arms around them. "Yeah... Though at first I hated him," he replied with a quiet laugh, nostalgia lightening his features. He found it was easy and not quite as painful to talk about Dark with Satoshi as it was with others, perhaps because the older boy knew firsthand what he'd gone through. He'd explained everything to Riku a while ago, but he suspected his expression when talking was responsible for her not asking anymore. It had all been too fresh in his mind then, the ache of loss still poignant in his chest.

He lapsed into a brief silence, tilting his face into the breeze and inhaling deeply. Crimson slits appeared from beneath his thick lashes, sliding to the side to regard his friend as he wondered if it was okay to ask about Krad, now that the topic had been spoken aloud.

Sensing Daisuke's gaze on him, the police commander guessed what was on his mind and decided to answer the unspoken questions. "You don't know how lucky you are. Krad and I... Our beliefs and opinions were never the same. From the very beginning I realised he would do anything to control me so I wouldn't interfere with him." He paused and leaned back, resting his elbows on the fountain ledge. "I'm relieved I don't have to worry about him taking my body over and destroying everything anymore. I don't miss him."

Daisuke nodded faintly, knowing he'd been extremely lucky from what his family had told him about the curse of the white wings. "I miss Dark," he admitted quietly. "I wish Krad could have been more like him so you wouldn't have suffered."

"There's no use lingering in the past," Satoshi replied firmly. "You can't change what's happened, and it wasn't possible at any rate. They were two halves of a whole, it's only reasonable they were polar opposites."

"I know, but still..."

The blue-eyed boy grunted softly, partly in annoyance and partly in amusement. "You'll never change, will you?" he asked, looking at his friend curiously, a hint of wonder in his expression. "Tell me... If you could have Dark back, would you want him?"

Daisuke turned to the other male in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked, not letting himself even consider if it was possible or not.

"I'm asking a hypothetical question, that's all. Ever since then, you've seemed a bit lost," Satoshi replied quietly. "I just wanted to know if it's because Dark is gone."

"I guess you could say that," the former-thief replied slowly. "It's just... Everything seems to be because of him, you know? I'm not sure I would have ended up with Riku or anything if it hadn't been for him. He became a source of courage and strength for me."

"So you'd want him back."

"I never really wanted him gone... But like you said," he added, pulling himself out of his descent into depression, "it's no use lingering on the past. What's the point in asking?"

Satoshi shrugged, turning his attention back to the sea. "I guess I just wanted you know that if it were possible to bring them back... If you missed him that much, I don't think I would mind dealing with Krad some more."

Daisuke blinked in surprise, looking at his friend with comically wide eyes. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"Niwa," Satoshi replied, glancing over in mild amusement.

The redhead laughed quietly, relaxing completely as the last barriers between them seemed to have crumbled with those words. "You know you can't avoid me anymore now that you've said that."

"I was afraid of that," was the quiet response, accompanied by a mockingly long-suffering sigh.

"That reminds me... I've always wondered why it was that I was your trigger," Daisuke murmured thoughtfully, oblivious as always.

The police commander coughed quietly, fighting a faint blush of embarrassment and raising a hand to push his glasses up. Remembering he wasn't wearing them anymore, he ran his fingers through his hair instead. "I guess you could say it was because Krad was so obsessed with Dark... Beyond obsessed," he replied evasively, lapsing into silence. He really didn't know how someone could be so dense, but it was one of the things he knew made Daisuke who he was, and he wouldn't ever want to change that.

"Heeeh, I guess that makes sense..."

"Also..." the police commander added after a few moments, "there's always been something I admire about you. You're always able to pull through things stronger than you were. I envy that about you. I bet the thought of giving up never even crossed your mind, did it? And there I was more than ready to end it all, saying life wasn't precious..."

Daisuke blushed at the compliments, stretching his arms out in front of him and watching the play of sunlight through the crevices of his fingers. "I don't blame you," he said after a moment. "Neither of us really knew what was going to happen; you were just doing what you thought you had to."

Satoshi threw a wry grin at his companion. "You seem so understanding now. I was expecting to have you lecture me again."

The younger male shook his head, his crimson hair swaying with the movement. "I realised afterward that had I been in the same position, where I couldn't trust that Dark wouldn't use my body to hurt those I cared about, I might have done the same to protect everyone."

"I doubt that. You would have come up with something. You always do."

Daisuke wasn't so sure about that, but there was no point in wondering. It was all in the past, over and done with. Silence settled comfortably around them as they lost themselves in their own thoughts, neither of them really having anything more to say on the subject for the time being. "Can I see your sketchbook?" the redhead questioned, looking over at the large book amid the supplies scattered on the ground.

The police commander hesitated momentarily before handing the book over, watching from the corner of his eye as Daisuke began flipping through the pages. He rarely showed anyone his work, mostly because of the lingering wariness he had from being a descendant of the Hikari line. Even though the curse had been broken, he wasn't sure whether or not that meant his art was completely safe.

"Wow! Hiwatari-kun, these are fantastic!" the younger boy exclaimed, turning the pages slowly as he took in all the detail in the sketches. They seemed as if they could come alive at any moment, or could open up and let one pass into their realm if given the right push. He was half-afraid of that happening, while half-thrilled at the thought of being able to travel between those worlds once again.

Crimson eyes widened as they came across a sketch of Risa, wearing a simple dress and leaning back against a railing, the city spread out behind her. Her lips were curled into a charming smile and her expression was gentle, as if she had no cares in the world at that moment. "Wow..."

Satoshi glanced at the paper when he heard the whispered word, a brief smile flitting across his lips. "That's from a few weeks ago."

Daisuke looked up with a grin. "I'm still surprised you finally asked her out," he said teasingly.

The blue-eyed boy glanced away with another faint blush, cursing himself for seeming to do that so easily nowadays. "Actually, she was the one to ask me out first..." he admitted quietly. Truthfully, there really wasn't anything between them beyond friendship. Neither of them was looking for that type of relationship, just someone to spend time with, but the rumours had started before they could stop them. And since they knew it would be pointless to try and stop those rumours, they hadn't tried, knowing they would die down eventually.

"That certainly sounds like Harada-san!" the former-thief laughed. He shook his head in amusement as he returned his attention to the pictures, carefully closing the book when he reached the last one and handing it back. "Is she the one who got you to finally stop wearing those glasses?" he asked.

Slim fingers closed around the book as a quiet snort escaped their owner's lips. "She said anyone that was going to be seen with her had to look no less than their best," Satoshi replied dryly, shaking his head as he slipped his supplies into his bag.

"That sounds like her, too!" Daisuke laughed again and pushed himself nimbly to his feet. "I need to go before I'm late picking up Riku-san,' he said, looking out at the ocean and tilting his face into the breeze.

The older boy nodded slightly, watching the redhead from his still-sitting position. The reddish and deep purple hues of the sunset reflected off Daisuke's face, highlighting his features and casting sharp shadows beneath his wild bangs. For a moment, Satoshi thought the other male looked much older than he really was, yet at the same time he looked like a child, as if he were caught somehow on the threshold of maturity and youth.

In a way, he suspected that was true for both of them. After what they had been through it would have been impossible for them to stay children completely, yet they had retained just enough of their innocence and hope to give the world another chance and enjoy what life had to offer.

In Satoshi's case, while Risa was extremely selective about things, her personality and attitude toward him was one of the things that had helped draw him out of his self-imposed shell. Risa knew what he had been and what he had done, yet she never blamed him or put him on the spot about it. For that, he was extremely grateful.

"You should come by sometime; my dad keeps asking about you." Daisuke turned to look at the other boy with a grin as he flicked his bangs from his eyes.

"Perhaps," Satoshi replied noncommittally, pulling himself from his reverie.

"Great, how about next week sometime? Maybe we can have a barbeque and have Riku-san and Harada-san join us!" the redhead suggested, waving as he turned without waiting for a response. "See you tomorrow!" he called over his shoulder.

The young police commander watched as Daisuke ran off and disappeared into the city. He sat there in silence for a while, letting his mind wander as memories surfaced of when Dark and Krad were still a part of them. "Were they really destroyed?" he wondered aloud. Even though he'd felt the separation of Krad from his mind when the _Black Wings _was destroyed, he had to wonder if it was really that easy, even though things hadn't been easy at all.

Shaking his head to himself, Satoshi stood and slung the strap of his bag over a shoulder, slipping his hands into his pockets as he headed home. Maybe he was just being paranoid, and he fervently hoped he was. For all his seclusiveness and lone-wolf tendencies, he could easily get used to spending time with other people, and he didn't want to loose that opportunity before he ever got the chance to truly enjoy it.


End file.
